Ataturk by Andrew Mango

Ataturk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey by Andrew Mango describes Mustafa Kemal's quest to become the leader of the country he founded. He had a vision for the country and let it unfold at a pace that the country was ready to accept. He was Turkey's George Washington. He worked to develop the pride in Turkish culture through speeches and the cultivation of a friendly press.

The author carefully sifts through alternative interpretations of events. Ataturk would often present his role in history in a favorable light and he refers to other sources to dig out the truth.

Mustafa Kemal was not a strict practicing Muslim and had a taste for liquor, cigarettes and staying out late. He had open disdain for the madrasas. He found the information taught to be useless. He found the teachers to be ill informed speaking Arabic to Turkish students who did not understand the language. He thought the students in the madrasa to use that place to hide from military service. This helped form his vision of a secular Turkish state. He turned to Europe for ideas on how to set up the country.

Ataturk's military experience served him well leading the country. He developed a network of supporters in the Military and also gained knowledge about the people that opposed him. Some of the rougher elements he associated with ended up making opponents disappear. It was unclear if he directed this activity or if it happened outside his control.

This is a paraphrase of the book summary: The founders of modern Turkey were people of the enlightenment. The people of the enlightenment were no saints.

Brother Malik reviews Ataturk - 7 minutes